Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-19
A "SOUARE TALK.D
Senator Vrooman Tells the OakIanders
Plain Truths about improvements.

senator brooman Tells the Oaklanders
Plain Truths about improvements.
Senator Vrooman was invited by the
Oakland Board of Trade to address it upon
the subject of local Improvements and pub
lie spirit. He did so Monday evening, and
his suggestions were unanimously adopted.
As very much of what he SAID applies with
equal force to Sacramento, bis remarks
may be studied with profit:
Il have noticed" he remarked, that
there is an entire absence of pride of local
ity. On all public occasions, when it is
necessary to have speech, it is customary
TO go abroad and import men to make po-
htlcal speeches or orations. | have often
wondered why 10 man in Oakland could
do anything of advantage to the city in a
business way, without a certain element at
lacking him and trying to tear him down.
This is the rule, in no matter what avoca-
ton he may be engaged. The first duty of
every person is to respect himself If a
man does not defend his wife and children,
he cannot expect anyone else to do it for
him. Now this is the way with commu-
nifty. If business men do not stand togeth-
er, they must not think any other persons
will protect their interests.
The first thing for this community to
do is to stand together and elect no man
who is not resident of this county. An
other thing to which wish to direct atten-
ton seems to me more important than any
other. This is the habit of the people of
Oakland of going 70 San Francisco to buy
their supplies. Of course have no means
of determining what percentage of supplies
consumed here is purchased in San Fran
cisco, but 1t is at least 20 or % per cent.
would like to know how we are to get men
to come here and spend their money to
build stores and factories if we will not
trade with them when they come. You
may talk about hotels, street improvements
and manufacturing interests, but until the
people consent to buy their supplies here,
Oakland cannot prosper.
In the last few weeks | have been
travelling about the State, and everywhere
there is great prosperity and a feeling of
confidence. Each community extols its
own locality. | overheard an Eastern man
asking man from Los Angeles whether
oranges grow north of San Francisco. He
answered that they grow some little vel
low things, but they are not oranges If
that Fastener had been talking to an Oak
land man he would have said: We have
nothing here. Go down to Los Angeles
You never hear anything good about Oak
land. If the Board of Trade would stop
talking about hotels, streets and boule-
wards, and build up a proper local pride.
it would be doing about all it can expect
to accomplish. | have been strucl. with
the harmony of the Los Angeles people as
shown in the State Conventions in which
| have met hem. They came under the
lead of Colonel Boyce; they were perfectly
harmonious, and their cry was Southern
California And what has that cry of
Southern California done? 1t has Gre
ated degree of prosperity absolutely mn
paralleled in history"
Senator Vrooman talked at some length
about favorable and unfavorable impress
sions of towns received from the neatness
with which houses and yards are cared for
and the practice of real estate agents in
covering town with signs. F" For Sale"
he said that if person comes to Oakland
to buy property and an agent gets into his
buggy to show him about, all the other
agents get into their buggies and follow.
When they get chance to talk to the man
they say What do you ride with him
for? He has a bad reputation Then
they say to the agent who has had the
stranger in tow: If you don't divide the
commission with us we will break up the
sale" This is done every day. This"
said the Senator, " is all wrong, and the
Board ought to take the matter in hand.n
The speaker then referred to the boule-
ward project, and said that two years ago
he spent several weeks in trying to carry
the undertaking through, but, though he
was authorized to subscribe $4,000, he
could do nothing on account of the ieal-
ousies of the property owners. He depre-
Gated the filthy condition of the main bus
mess streets, saying there were enough old
boots, scraps of paper, etc. on Washington
street between Seventh and Eighth, to load
the Great Eastern. There is more rubbish
on the street in that one block than in the
whole of three such towns as Stockton, San
Jose and Visalia.